I recently misquoted Ajahn Chah, afirming that he broke a vinaya rule. I remembered it wrong. On Ajahn Chah's facebook page today, was the description of what realy happened:

Once a layman pleaded with Ajahn Chah to read his future (which he never did). Finally Ajahn Chah gave in and looked at his palms. He said: "I will reveal your future, and I never make a mistake in this." The layman was very excited to know his future. Ajahn Chah said: "Your future ... is uncertain."

I apologise for slandering Ajahn Chah and eventualy inducing people in error.

He turns his mind away from those phenomena, and having done so, inclines his mind to the property of deathlessness: 'This is peace, this is exquisite — the resolution of all fabrications; the relinquishment of all acquisitions; the ending of craving; dispassion; cessation; Unbinding.'
(Jhana Sutta - Thanissaro Bhikkhu translation)

Modus.Ponens wrote:Once a layman pleaded with Ajahn Chah to read his future (which he never did). Finally Ajahn Chah gave in and looked at his palms. He said: "I will reveal your future, and I never make a mistake in this." The layman was very excited to know his future. Ajahn Chah said: "Your future ... is uncertain."

That's right! I remember Ajahn Brahm telling that joke/story when he was here in Las Vegas.

He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.
But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them … he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.John Stuart Mill

I recently misquoted Ajahn Chah, afirming that he broke a vinaya rule. I remembered it wrong. On Ajahn Chah's facebook page today, was the description of what realy happened:

Once a layman pleaded with Ajahn Chah to read his future (which he never did). Finally Ajahn Chah gave in and looked at his palms. He said: "I will reveal your future, and I never make a mistake in this." The layman was very excited to know his future. Ajahn Chah said: "Your future ... is uncertain."

I apologise for slandering Ajahn Chah and eventualy inducing people in error.

Modus.Ponens wrote:Once a layman pleaded with Ajahn Chah to read his future (which he never did). Finally Ajahn Chah gave in and looked at his palms. He said: "I will reveal your future, and I never make a mistake in this." The layman was very excited to know his future. Ajahn Chah said: "Your future ... is uncertain."

This is yet another reason why I like Ajahn Chah so much (although not having personally met him, of course). I'm imagining the audience hushed with anticipation...then he comes out with that 'pronouncement'. lol

"To these too I teach the Dhamma which is lovely in its beginning, lovely in its middle and lovely in its ending, in spirit and in letter, I display to them the holy life, perfectly fulfilled and purified."- from the Desanaa Sutta